Adventures in Reality: Akatsuki Kittens Revised
by itachilover16
Summary: Finding kittens isn't all that hard, especially ones that end up on your doorstep. But see, that's where it all got started.
1. Chapter 1

Yo peeps! If you haven't heard, this is the revision of my old fic of the same name. It was going nowhere fast and it felt...unrealistic. This version will hopefully be better than the old one. I'm working on the second chapter as I write this, but I probably won't update until at least next week. I've got AP finals after all.

* * *

Cats are great animals. They don't require much more effort than a dog and they're such great companion animals. I adore cats like little girls adore horses. Seriously, ask anyone I know. They'll tell you how much I love cats. If you have a cat, you can bet I'll be petting it and probably stroking its ego as well.

And this is where the train comes to a stop.

I may love cats more than a normal person should, but it didn't mean I was _prepared_ for taking care of more than one. I've had my cat Alice for about four or five years. She gets me in ways that most people just don't. Another reason to love cats, they don't _judge_(too harshly, that is).

I'm not really explaining this thing right, am I? Sorry, I know I can go off topic when I'm nervous. See, the thing is, I really _wasn't_ prepared for taking care of more than one cat.

Or should I say kittens?

It all started on a Saturday morning. As usual, no one was home but myself. I slowly did my morning ritual. You know, letting the dog out, eating breakfast, the whole shebang. Now, usually, I don't go outside unless it's to get the dog. But something compelled me to walk out, just to see if it _was_ as warm as it looked. I plucked a pair of sunglasses from their resting place and shoved them onto my nose. They rode up and covered the better part of my upper face. My relatively short bangs fell over the plastic, annoying the hell out of me. Sighing, I shoved my feet into an ugly pair of green flip flops and opened the side door.

It was about eleven in the morning, so I'd figured I'd get the mail. I was already outside so I might as well do that one small thing. I stalked forward, passively checking the mailbox and grabbing the junk mail that appeared. I idly flipped through the mail, my eye catching my name on a fancy looking letter.

I stopped and turned my head slightly. Something was setting off alarm bells in my head. I didn't know _what_ was wrong, just that there _was_ something wrong. I heard a scratching sound above the soft lull of nearby traffic and turned around. The sound persisted and my eyes swiveled to stare at a simple cardboard box sitting innocently on the front steps.

Cautiously, I approached it. The scratching was definitely coming from the box. I delicately touched it, my fingers roaming the surface, searching for something to identify this box with. There wasn't anything on it other than tape to hold the box closed. Weighing my options, I sighed and picked it up. I juggled the box and the mail in my hands, somehow managing to get into the house using my feet and shoulder.

Slightly winded, I dropped the box gently on the table in the kitchen. I fell sideways into a chair, pawing through the mail for the letter I'd received. It was heavy and the front was laced with a gold border. My name stood out painfully against the creamy color, heavily inked and written in a beautiful cursive that made me want to cry.

Without any sort of hesitance, I ripped the letter. I was never any good opening letters anyway.

A card fell out, as did a sucker. Absently unwrapping the treat, I stuck it in my mouth and opened the card. Once I finished reading, I paled.

The card read as follows:

**Dear Sara,**

**Greetings. I am sure you must be wondering what is in that box by now. Do not fret child. All will be clear once you open it. I have run into a bit of a problem and I ask that you look after the items in the box until I return for it. Please care for them as you would your own. Enjoy your treat!**

There was nothing else. No signature or _anything_ that identified the writer. Feeling a little disturbed, I stood and grabbed a knife from the sink, wiping the excess water off on my shorts. With a sinking feeling, I cut off the tape carefully. The scratching, which had been a constant background noise, abruptly stopped. Slowly, I opened the flaps on the side.

Ten pairs of eyes stared back at me.

* * *

Pein moved first. He jumped out of the box neatly and gracefully, darting out of the room quickly. Taking his cue, the other members of Akatsuki followed suit. Only Tobi remained where he sat, tail sweeping behind him from side to side.

"Fucking damnit!" The secret leader of Akatsuki watched the tall girl curiously. She groaned and peeked at him through her fingers, blue eyes following his every move.

"Please don't run little kitty," she begged, sprinting after the closest kitten, Deidara. It was hard for him to run on his hand paws and it caused shooting pains to race through his legs. The girl scooped him up, cradling him carefully. No doubt she'd seen his difficulty.

"Oh shhh, it's ok sweetheart," she cooed, inspecting his paws. She frowned at the small slits adorning each soft paw. "Hmm, they look clean enough that I don't _think_ there's a chance of infection. But I don't like these cuts." The girl kissed the top of his head, striding back toward Tobi. She placed Deidara in the box next to him, closing the lids gently and hefting it up. It was easier to lift with only two bodies in it.

The girl bit her lip absently as she walked deeper into the house. She could feel several eyes on her but she ignored them for the moment. Her long legs shortened as she climbed a set of stairs. She turned right and opened the door to a small, blue room.

Old CDs and music equipment sat abandoned on the floor. A stack of miscellaneous items sat in a corner, piled there for lack of space to put them. The girl toed the door closed and set the box on the ground. She frowned at the hot, heavy air and took three steps toward the window. With a heave, she lifted the frame up, letting in fresh air through the screen.

Tobi poked his head out of the box, watching. The girl sighed and crawled toward him, a hand outstretched.

"Come here kitty, I won't hurt you." Tobi bounded happily out of the box, nuzzling her hand and sniffing it curiously. The girl giggled and scratched his ear. Her hand gently made its way through his thick black fur, careful of the obvious scarring. Tobi purred as his back arched to fit the palm of her hand.

Deidara gazed suspiciously with his one good eye. Tobi simply chirruped at him, telling him that it felt nice. Cautiously, the blonde(now white)bomber stalked forward, glaring the entire time. The girl held her other hand out and allowed him to sniff it. Finding it acceptable, he nuzzled her palm. She scratched the top of his head and ran her hand down his spine, forcing his butt into the air as she scratched the base of his tail.

"See, it's not so bad kitty," she said, smiling with crooked teeth. Deidara only purred louder at her ministrations.

Suddenly, she pulled her hand away. Well, it wasn't sudden, but it was fast enough for Deidara to think so. The girl frowned and loomed over him, kissing his head. She did the same with Tobi and left the room, closing the door behind her.

...

..

.

I rounded up the rest of the kittens(which wasn't an easy feat)and collapsed onto the soft carpeting. The kitten who hadn't run when I first opened the box decided that was his(and I was sure it was a he)cue to come sit on my stomach. The white-ish kitten padded over and plopped his little butt on my chest, nearly restricting my breathing.

"Hello, yes, need to breathe here sonny boy," I said, sucking in air breathlessly. The kitten seemingly grumbled and moved off my chest and padded over to sit on my legs.

I looked at the other kittens, who were slowly but surely warming up to me. They were kittens after all. They didn't really have to be wary of strangers. Besides, cats can sense intentions. If I'd had any ill ones, they'd be _so_ much more wary of me. I laid out both my arms, my eyelids drooping closed. Looking for all those kittens was tiring. The little rascals were pretty hard to find and catch.

I drifted off slightly, not even caring that several of the kittens decided to partially climb on me, resting their cute paws on my face and neck and stomach.

My breathing and heart rate slowed and I let out a big breath of air, curling slightly into a ball. Within moments, I was out.

* * *

Itachi squinted at the girl in front of him, studying her face. She was sleeping peacefully but every few moments she would mutter something in her sleep. Her dark frames slid off her nose and she pushed them off, proving she was still fairly awake. Bravely, the lithe black kitten moved toward her head, tilting his ear to hear her better.

"Mmmnnn, no don't pull that tooth out! I need it!" Internally sweat dropping, the Uchiha relaxed his shoulders and sat down beside her head. She unconsciously nuzzled his spine with her nose, sending pleasurable tingles down it. Itachi purred, his eyes flickering to red. He suddenly sprang up, alarmed at what he was seeing. His fur stood on end and his tail puffed up. The girl didn't seem to notice.

The rest of the Akatsuki stared, curious and also alarmed. Itachi quickly explained to them what he had seen with his Sharingan and they too hissed at the information.

If they weren't turned back to human form soon, they would degrade and spend the rest of their lives as cats.

* * *

So that's it. Like it? Hate it? Leave a review and tell me what's what! I hope that it has improved from the old version at least. Well, I'm to destroy everything my brother loves b/c he's a sexist piece of shit.


	2. Chapter 2

Yo! It's been a few days I think. I just finished my last AP exam and I needed to get directions for a place I'm volunteering at so I figured I'd update. I think I finished this yesterday but I could be wrong. I already started on chapter 3 so watch out for that. It might be shorter than this chapter since I haven't planned for too much to happen. Also, I forgot the disclaimer last chapter so I'll do that at the bottom.

* * *

Feeling a tad jovial, I scrolled through my iPod, looking for a good song to listen to. I was in an All Time Low mood and settled on "Stella."

"You're only happy when I'm wasted. I point my finger but I just can't place it. Feels like I'm fallin' in love, when I'm fallin' to the bathroom floor. I remember how you tasted. I've had you so many times, lets face it. Feels like I'm fallin' in love alone. Stella would you take me home?" I sang, petting my new favorite kitten. He purred and pushed his little kitty head against my palm. I cooed and scratched his ear.

Which was a big mistake. The other kittens clambered over each other for my attention, trying to reach my fingers. Laughing, I picked one up, the largest, whitest kitten I'd ever seen. He mewed and purred like a machine, biting my cheek. I twisted my head and kissed his forehead.

"Daww, you're such a cutie pie," I cooed, rubbing my head against his. He meowed more insistently and I gave him a more serious stare.

"Mmm, are ya hungry little one? Don't fret. I'll go get some food for you." I set him down, which prompted another kitten to climb into my lap. She was the only female and the only gray one. I absolutely adored her in my short 24 hours of owning her.

The kitten opened her mouth and attached herself to my jacket string, chewing and scowling. I laughed, scratching her neck. She suddenly stopped and stared, eyes widening. Calmly, I lowered my lids, eyes darting behind her head. When cats got like that, it was best to show them that you weren't provoking them. Don't ever look a cat in the eye whose eyes are dilated and huge. They _will_ attack.

Sighing, I looked away, picking my iPod up and checking the date. It was the eighth of May. One more day until Junior Ball. It was going to be fun, considering I paid $35 for a ticket. Before I could think much more of that, one of the kittens climbed up onto my lap, using my chest as a foothold. It was the silky black one with coal eyes. He sniffed my mouth curiously and I gave him a sharky grin, sticking my tongue out. I did just have lunch, so he might've been smelling the food on my breath. He seemingly scowled, looking affronted at my action. I giggled, kissing his head. He mewed and pushed his head against my chin insistently.

"Ok ok, I'll go sneak some food. You're lucky no one's home." If my dad had discovered the cats, they would've surely been dropped off at the ASPCA and I _couldn't_ let that happen. I pushed all the kittens off my lap and rose, my long legs easily crossing the threshold. I allowed the kittens to follow me and to be honest, it was pretty cute. It was like I was the mama duck and they were little ducklings.

Once I walked into the kitchen, I made a beeline for the fridge. It was big enough that I could store extra food without my parents noticing. I grabbed several slices of ham and dumped it in two bowls. The kittens crowded each other, trying to get at the food. For some reason, they absolutely loathed cat/kitten food. They wouldn't even go near the stuff, which forced me to make an emergency meat run yesterday. My iPod started a new song and I tapped my foot to the beat. I was totally a slave to the rhythm.

"Hello Brooklyn, hey LA. Take the streets all night cause we sleep all day. When the world comes crashing down, who's ready to party? Hello Brooklyn, hey LA. Coast to coast I'll take you down in flames. Let the good times roll. We can let go. Everybody knows there's a party at the end of the world," I sang, moving my shoulders a tad. The kittens looked at me curiously then shrugged it off and continued eating. I studied them, my eyebrows furrowing. Something seemed _off_ about these kittens. I just couldn't put my finger on what it was.

Suddenly, one of the white kittens broke off from the group and padded over to me. He plopped himself on my knee, looking up at me with strange, purple eyes. He sneezed and picked himself up to graze my leg with his teeth. I grabbed him around his middle and he screeched, fighting my hold.

"Oh hush. Don't be such a crybaby," I lightly admonished. He stopped, as if understanding my words. I cradled the kitten's body in my arms delicately. "See? Isn't that better?" I frowned at the dark, unnatural spot on his head and rubbed. My fingers came away with bits of grime and dirt(though some of that mess was blood).

"You're so dirty baby! I should give you all a bath while my parents are gone." I placed the kitten on the ground and stood, rubbing my hands together. The kittens were mostly finished with their food, so I cleaned the floor and the bowls.

"Come on kitties! Bath time!" The largest kitten stared excitedly and bounded over, jumping up and clinging to my legs. I laughed, patting his head and picking him up.

"Well aren't you an eager McBeaver?" I cooed. He purred loudly and I hugged him closer. Cats are such cutie pies.

I led the kittens to my room, bypassing the spacious area in order to get to the bathroom. They barely paused to inspect my room before they caught up. I set the white kitten down on the tiled floor, watching in amusement as he touched a paw curiously to the floor. The other kittens were wary but I clicked my tongue to the back of my palate and they scurried over. For some reason, they listened when I did that.

I gathered a few small towels and shampoo specifically designed for cats and began to fill the bathtub with water. These kittens didn't seem to have an aversion to water like most cats. It made me wonder what kinds of experiences they had had.

The first cat in the water was the large white one. I smothered my laughter and absently felt that something was still kind of off. Snapping my fingers, I pointed to the ceiling in triumph.

"I forgot to name you guys!" The kittens gave me an unimpressed look and I waved them off. "Oh please, some of you look alike. And I _can't_ keep thinking of you as insert color kittens." I hummed thoughtfully, pointing to the kitten padding happily in the tub. "You shall be dubbed Haru, after the anime character who loves water." Haru didn't seem to care about his new name. I picked up the orange-red kitten who seemed to be the leader of the group. Weighing him carefully, I noticed the other kittens were stiff as a board. I hummed and gently placed him on the floor. Names were definitely _not_ my forte.

"Something regal would suit you I think. How about...Monarch?" The kitten blinked, then dipped his head in acceptance. Odd.

Shaking off those thoughts, I grabbed another kitten by random. It was the only brown one of the group. He was quiet but fought a lot with one of the silvery-white kittens. He was probably the dirtiest one there, with stitch like markings marring his fur(that was _probably_ natural).

"Stitch," I said without thinking. The kitten made a face and I laughed, kissing his nose. He hissed quietly and tried to scratch my face but I moved my head out of range of his claws. I gently dropped him and he stalked off irritably, glaring at me like all cats do. Shrugging, I grabbed my favorite kitten, the silky black one with an orange face. He licked my fingers as I picked him up and I squealed. He was just too cute.

"I'm naming you Felix, cause that's one of my favorite names of all time." The kitten tilted his head and began purring. I kissed his head wetly, nuzzling his face. Felix bit my chin after a moment's hesitation. I placed him on my shoulder and grabbed the other black kitten. Studying the passive animal, I narrowed my eyes in concentration.

"Hmmmm. You look like a Link to me." Accepting the name stoically, the kitten dipped his head toward me. I blew a raspberry at him and he simply blinked. Eh, I guess cats had different personalities like humans. It was what made them so cool though.

I pried Felix's claws off and slowly lowered him into the bathtub. The kitten didn't seem to care or mind that he was being placed in water. I put Link into the tub as well, shoving my rolled sleeves further up my arms.

...

..

.

Kisame padded in the water, enjoying the feeling of his fur becoming wet even though he was a feline. Itachi swam alongside his partner, keeping out of the girl's reach. His eyesight was failing him even now and he'd like it if she wouldn't get water anywhere near them.

Sara was busy with Tobi however. The kitten was co-operative until she tried to go after Kisame. He was insistent and craved her attention. Itachi couldn't say he didn't understand. Being _Uchiha_ meant the two were more in tune with their inner cats.

Itachi mewed quietly at Tobi, who whined and gave up his search for the affections of the teenager. Sara shot him a grateful look and lathered Kisame with soap. She carefully rinsed him and forced him out of the tub to dry him off with the large fluffy towel. Kisame howled at the loss of water and bit her hand savagely. Sara winced but ignored it and ruffled his fur to dry him off more quickly.

"Shh, it's ok Haru. I'll let you play in the tub later, ok? Don't be sad," she murmured lowly, frantically scratching his head. The shark-like man-kitten purred against his will and nodded. Sara sighed and plopped him wetly on the ground. She frowned at the bite to her hand, poking it with a wet finger. She unintentionally let out a low keen at the pain searing through her flesh and wondered just how sharp Haru's teeth actually were.

Blood seeped through the open wound at a much faster rate than what would be considered normal. Blanching, the teenager hurriedly grabbed a few paper towels from the inside of the mirror and stoppered the wound with them. Putting pressure on the wound would stop the bleeding. Kisame mewed and actually looked remorseful. He walked over to her leg with his tail between his legs, head bowed in submission. Sara didn't seem to notice though.

"Oh _shit_. I think he bit a vein," she murmured to herself. Kisame keened like a dog and put his paws over his face in shame. Tobi climbed out of the tub and shook himself off, spraying water everywhere. Sara frowned at him, her nose curling upward.

"Sorry Felix but your bath is going to have to wait. Ah shit this hurts like a goddamned son of a bitch! Fuck, shit, _ow_." Uttering a few more swears under her breath, the girl rose and carefully peeled the wet paper away from her skin. The bleeding had slowed significantly. She sighed in relief and turned the sink faucet on to wash off the congealing blood. Her pale hand was covered in light crimson, which made Kisame feel even worse than before.

The boiling water stung initially but the teen quickly got used to it. She sighed and rubbed her nose with two forefingers, sliding her large glasses up to rest uncomfortably above her brow.

"Maybe taking in this many kittens _wasn't_ such a good idea," she mused. "I'm sure one or two would be fine but if the others act up like this, I could end up with worse than a bite. Ah, I know. I'll take their picture and advertise at the Ball! Assuming I'm not dancing all night that is." Chuckling, the teen nodded at her decision. She felt bad that she couldn't uphold her unconscious promise to whoever owned the kittens before, but she needed to think about her safety. Haru looked nice and innocent but his teeth were razor sharp enough to bite through her hand when he was only a kitten.

Sara didn't notice the three pairs of eyes spinning rapidly at her back.

...

..

.

I flexed my hand experimentally after I finished washing the others(which had been _so_ much fun). I might as well dole out quick names to the others. I picked my second favorite kitten up, the white one with the fringe covering his eye, and cradled him with my good arm. I was sure I'd keep him, along with Felix. Those two were simply angels.

"I'm gonna call you Joe. Short for Cotton Eyed Joe," I decided, petting the soft, thick fur languidly. Joe purred and rubbed his head against my chin. I kissed his head then grabbed the gray female. She blinked curiously at me, gnawing gently on my finger.

"I'd call you Angel but that's an ugly name for a pretty kitty. How about Goddess?" The kitten seemed confused but shrugged it off. I stuck my tongue out and put her down. She padded off toward Monarch and I cooed. Those two were so precious.

I only had three kittens left to name. The silvery one, the other red-orange one, and the black/white one. I picked the silver one up and he squirmed uncomfortably. I blew a light raspberry at him to calm him, and it seemed to work.

"I can't really think of anything good. How about Silver? Kind of like the Pokemon character. Except you've got way different personalities." It wasn't like these names were permanent anyway. They were just easier to identify the kittens in my mind with. Signing, I put Silver down and grabbed the red kitten I'd failed to name.

I noticed the brown marring his limbs in intricate and deliberate ways. They outlined his legs and shoulders in an wood-like pattern. The lines were big and blocky and awkward looking and for some odd reason, reminded me of a marionette.

"Pinocchio. Like the little puppet who wanted to be a real boy." I nodded, watching the kitten. He dipped his head lazily and grabbed my nose with his paws, his small claws making short scratches. I laughed and placed him on the carpet. He seemed content with his name.

Last, but certainly not least, was the black/white kitten. This kitten was most likely supposed to be a twin, seeing as he was perfectly split down the middle in his color scheme. I'd only ever seen one while scrolling through the Internet. I was at a loss as to what I should name him until my eye caught something reflective. I crawled over to my messenger bag and picked at the many dangling key chains hanging from it. I cradled the Zetsu keychain in my fingers, inspiration striking.

"I'll name you Zetsu! You'll be my little Zetsu baby." I nuzzled his head and he mewed softly. He didn't seem to care what his name was at all, but then again, most of the kittens didn't. Cats really didn't care what you called them as long as you gave them food and water.

I flopped onto my back and stared at the ceiling pensively. Some of these kittens I was getting attached to, but I knew I shouldn't do that because I'd already resolved to giving them up. I knew Goddess and Monarch needed to be together, but the rest weren't as close as those two.

I guess I'd figure it all out tomorrow.

* * *

So that's it. Like it? Hate it? Tell me! Oh, right, I should probably mention that the kittens have only one or two similarities to their original appearance(except Deidara). And the first time that Sara mentions something is off, she was referring to the fact that they're all different sizes and colors, so she isn't too sure that they're even in the same litter. Also, Itachi mentioned that he was more in tune with his inner cat, which is why Tobi and himself are acting more cat-like. Here's a recap of the which kitten is which and what they look like(aka, the physical characteristic that shows that they're the Akatsuki):

**Pein:** Orange with white stripes. His name is Monarch. He retains his Rinnegan but Sara hasn't noticed it yet.

**Konan:** Completely gray in color. Her name is Goddess(Sara was referring to biblical angels when she said they were ugly). She has a small light blue spot behind her ear that used to be her paper flower. Sara hasn't noticed this either.

**Tobi(Obito):** Black except for his orange face. The orange is his mask, but he can also use his Sharingan if he wanted. His name is Felix.

**Deidara:** White kitten with a longer bit of his fringe covering one eye. The "slits" in his paws are actually his hand mouths that he keeps closed. The mouth on his chest is covered by fur, much to his annoyance. His name is Joe.

**Sasori:** Red kitten with brown marring the joints to resemble a puppet. His name is Pinocchio.

**Kisame:** Largest white kitten. His teeth are still razor sharp and have been shown to slice through skin and muscle. His name is Haru.

**Itachi:** Black with a collar of silver/white fur. His name is Link(after the character from _Hairspray_ b/c I was browsing the Hairspray tag on tumblr)

**Hidan:** Silver/white kitten with purple eyes. There is a curious patch of fur around under his collarbone that resembles the Jashin symbol. His name is Silver, for lack of imagination.

**Kakuzu:** Brown with stitch like patches of dark fur that is hard to spot unless you're looking for them. His name is Stitch.

**Zetsu:** Black/white kitten with off color eyes. His name is Zetsu.

**Disclaimers:** I don't own any of these characters except my OC, Sara. I also don't own any songs or song lyrics mentioned. Those belong to All Time Low


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you sure? Are you positively serious?" I chattered into my phone, holding it up with my bare shoulder. I heard a hum on the other side of the line.

"Of course. A kitten or two wouldn't be any trouble at all." I relaxed and picked up the phone with my unoccupied hand, shoulders falling in relief. Well at least _one_ person was willing to take Monarch and Goddess as a pair.

"Thank you so much," I sighed into the phone, inspecting my nails. Nodding at the craftsmanship, I directed my attention toward the wayward kittens.

"It's no problem at all Sara." I repressed a shudder and twisted around to take a better look at the kittens. They were laser focused on me, or rather, my nails. I imagined they smelled horrid, if Alice's reaction was anything to go by.

"Still, I'm very grateful. I can't...I can't take care of ten animals. Maybe two or three, but not ten. I just feel bad that I have to separate them," I confessed.

"Don't worry about that. Cats won't feel sad if they're separated from their litter. Sooner or later they'll have leave each other." I let out a sigh and smiled.

"Thanks. You're making me feel better already." My grin stretched and little butterflies swam in my stomach. My toes curled pleasantly beneath me as I pretended to be busy. "So I'll hopefully see you at the dance?" I wanted to gag at my own voice.

"Yeah, I'll be there. I better go, you're probably getting ready."

"Bye," I whispered before the line disconnected. I sighed and stood, patting my short curls obsessively to figure out if they had held. I took a deep breath and took my dress off its hanger.

The dress was black and had relatively thin straps. The neckline dipped to favor my cleavage and had a built-in bra to hold my breasts up. Under the breasts was a thick, multi-colored bandeau for decoration. On the reverse side, the dress was cut in such a way that left part of my back exposed. Finally, the edge of the dress extended in the back and shortened in the front for better movement.

I slipped off my shirt and shorts and pulled the dress up over my hips. I didn't want to mess my hair up just yet. As my hair flickered around, I caught the scent of the hairspray. It was subtle and not _too_ overbearing. I twirled and looked in the body length mirror nailed to my wall. I looked pretty hot. I adjusted my bra slightly and struck a pose, an odd feeling bubbling up in my chest. I'd never been a really confident person, especially when it came to my looks, but at that moment, I truly felt beautiful.

Felix pushed against my leg insistently, mewing softly. I giggled and picked him up, carefully cradling him under my breasts. He pushed his head against them and purred up a storm.

"Cute little guy. Mama's going to be gone for a few hours but you'll be ok, won't you?" Felix just continued to purr. I bent forward and kissed his head, nuzzling the top of his head. Another kitten, Link I think, clawed my smooth, bared leg. I rolled my eyes and picked him up, juggling the two overly affectionate kittens. They'd probably imprinted on me or something, cutie pies that they were. Of course, Link was a little tense around Felix, so I tried to soothe his fear and put Felix down. He bounded over to Joe and pounced happily on the kitten. I scratched Link's ears and let him jump out of my arms. He watched me with coal eyes, and for a second, I thought they flashed red. Chalking it up to a trick of the light, I turned toward my reflection, fixing my hair and adjusting my dress further.

I could tell this was going to be a night I'd never forget.

...

..

.

Itachi's tail twitched as he watched Sara from the window. Once she was gone, he stalked off to find a nice, quiet corner to nap in. He didn't think he'd fall so far into his instincts but there was always a surprise around the corner, especially with the life he'd led up until that moment.

Sara hadn't been gone for maybe twenty minutes when there was a distinctive rapping noise. Every Akatsuki stiffened and tilted their heads to better hear the strange noise. There was another short rap when Tobi darted toward the window, his tail flickering wildly. All of the kittens gathered and froze at the sight of an unfamiliar man climbing onto the roof.

The man grunted and pulled himself up, right in front of the window. The Akatsuki scattered, which the man failed to notice. He shook his head and took out a knife, which he used to cut into the screen. He smirked to himself and tore it open to climb inside.

He didn't see the kittens until it was too late.

Hidan attacked first, screaming and yowling. Kisame followed after, his teeth tearing through fabric and muscle. The man tried to shake off the two kittens but he failed. Tobi was even more aggressive as he jumped and attached himself to the potential robber's arm, his bite nearly as piercing as Kisame's. Zetsu grinned to himself and went after his other arm, gnawing on the fingers that held the blade. The man's grip slackened and it fell with a thud. Itachi ignored the strong instinct to attack and picked up the blade between his teeth to deposit it elsewhere.

"Ow! Fucking devil cats! Scram!" The man shook his screaming limbs once more and the kittens still held on. More of them were attaching themselves to him and his vision was beginning to fail. Dark spots ran across his vision, the light flickering in and out. Finally, he fell, unconscious from blood loss.

Kisame unlocked his jaws and winced at the blood staining the fluffy blue carpet. Sara would be pissed as all hell. He flicked his tail irritably, turning toward Pein. The orange kitten's eyes were staring angrily at the man who would dare break into their temporary home and base of operations. Itachi padded closer, his paw accidentally stepping into the warm red liquid.

Suddenly, there was smoke. The kittens arched their backs and their fur stood on end as they waited for the next enemy to arrive. When the smoke was cleared, they stared in confusion at the almost human Itachi. His body was no longer that of a cat's but he retained a thin black tail and a pair of fluffy cat ears. The Uchiha glanced down and opened his mouth, but all that came out was a meow.

Konan averted her eyes carefully as Pein questioned his subordinate harshly. The Uchiha was at a loss as to why he had transformed. Tobi dipped a paw in the man's blood, as he had seen what had happened, but he didn't transform. Frustrated, he wiped the blood off and darted away to sulk in Sara's room.

Itachi glanced at the robber and felt his blood boil. In a fit of uncharacteristic rage, he slashed the man's throat with unusually sharp nails, his Sharingan spinning vividly. Pein narrowed his eyes and ordered the man to dispose of the body and to find clothes for himself.

The Uchiha set out to do as asked, a million things running through his mind.

...

..

.

My sides and legs ached and I was covered in sweat but I didn't care because I had had fun. I'd always thought of dances as a nuisance but experiencing one in person was radically different.

Plus, I was able to find a few more people who were willing to take in some of the kittens. I could safely give them away to good homes without my dad or mom finding out(though I would have to find some way to convince them to let me keep Felix and Link).

I climbed the stairs slowly, absently rubbing the sweat off my face with the back of my hand. I'd change into shorts and a shirt before checking the kittens and going to bed. A shiver clawed its way down my spine and I stiffened. Something wasn't right. I sniffed the air lightly and detected a tangy, metallic scent. A bad feeling settled in my stomach and I ran the rest of the way, bursting into the room where the smell was coming from.

There was a large, _large_ pool of _**blood**_ in the middle of the floor. My knees trembled with exertion and I fell into a heap as I stared at the red liquid. My stomach heaved at the raw scent and I quickly covered my mouth to stifle the bile threatening to rise. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blur and flinched, slamming my eyes closed.

A head pushed against my side and I cautiously looked down, relieved to see that Felix was fine. I shakily grabbed him and held him close to my chest, eyes darting around. The other kittens slowly came out of hiding, watching me. My stomach dropped even further when I didn't see Link.

"Link? Where are you kitty?" My eyes darted to the window, which had obviously been broken into, and I pressed my face into Felix's fur. Was that Link's blood? But there was just so much **_red_** and I couldn't get it out of my head.

There was a weight against my shoulder and I slowly turned my head. There was an unfamiliar hand perched on my collarbone and I shrieked, stumbling backward. I winced at the damp feeling permeating my palm. I raised my head to look at the perp and felt my jaw unhinged.

Standing in front of me, half naked with cat ears, was Uchiha Itachi. I felt my breath leave in short, quick gasps and my world slowly faded to black as I connected the unconscious dots I'd made.

The Akatsuki were in my house.

* * *

Well, betcha didn't see that coming eh? The next chapter will explain how/why Itachi changed though you all could guess if you wanted. Also, we'll be finding out how the Akatsuki got to this world!


	4. Chapter 4

Next chapter woot! Hope ya like it and remember to review! Also, check out my other story **Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak no Evil. **It follows the involvement of Yuri, Daisuke, and Ken in the Narutoverse. Each kid had to give up some part of themselves to be reincarnated. Yuri gave her voice, Daisuke his sight, and Ken his hearing. It'd be totally awesome if some of you guys checked it out!

* * *

My eyes fluttered open like a butterfly in flight. Ok, I lied, they actually flew open and I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head. But seriously, I'd like to see you react any different to Uchiha Itachi's presence in your house. _Especially_ a cat eared one that was half naked.

My mind was still in panic mode so when I eventually woke up, I was scrambling to get away from the man-cat curled up on my lap. Itachi gazed stoically, eyes calmly darting everywhere. I folded up and hugged my knees to my chest. Itachi blinked at the action and rubbed his head against my cheek, mewing softly. I watched with wide eyes, confused. Why was he acting like...a cat? And why wasn't he talking to me?

Cold, apprehensive dread filled my being as my brain processed this information. First, Itachi had cat ears(and a tail). Second, he was acting like a cat. Third, he wasn't talking but meowing at me as if he were a cat. Fourth, Link the black cat was missing.

Conclusion: Itachi _was_ Link.

I slowly unwound myself and reached up with a hesitant hand to pet Itachi's head. He purred and nuzzled it with his nose before rubbing his face against mine. Growing bolder, I scratched behind his ears, eliciting a deeper purr from his throat.

Huh. This was pretty weird.

"Itachi? Can you speak?" Itachi froze and turned his Sharingan onto me. I stared straight into it, not as afraid as I should've been. But then again, this was Itachi. I knew he was inherently good, no matter who he chose to spend his time with.

His cat ears and tail suddenly disappeared and then we were in a forest. I knew I'd been caught in his genjutsu(I'd been hoping for it actually). Itachi sighed quietly and spoke.

"Hello," he said. I waved to him, feeling only slightly foolish as I did so. "You already know who I am, correct?" I nodded, pursing my lips.

"You're Uchiha Itachi. How the hell did you all end up as cats?" Going straight to the point seemed like the best option. Itachi gave nothing away with his face but I saw his finger twitch slightly.

"We were ambushed by someone. I have my suspicions as to who it could possibly be." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"You were ambushed? Were you all even in the same place?" Itachi shook his head and I noticed something strange. I inched forward until I was nose to nose with him and quickly lifted his shirt. There was a glowing symbol carved out neatly into his chest. Itachi gripped my hand tightly, trying to discern what it was that had caught my attention.

"Ah, there's strange symbol on your chest," I replied to his unasked question. Itachi loosened his grip and stared at me with bleeding eyes.

"Draw it," he commanded, somewhat harshly. I nodded, even though I was a terrible artist. A pen and paper materialized in my hand and I studied the symbol quietly. A few moments passed before I began to draw. I wasn't good at art in general, but I could replicate something fairly easily. It was weird and didn't make sense and I chalked it up to a strange quirk.

I handed the finished drawing to Itachi, who scanned the paper with his Sharingan. He glared at it in possible frustration and nearly crumpled it up.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, voice shaking just as his limbs did. Itachi's face became carefully composed and blank but I could tell that whatever that symbol was, it wasn't anything good.

"No. This is a fuinjutsu seal made by a master. I am no expert but I believe it is a seal bearing hatred." A seal bearing hatred? What could that possibly mean?

"What happened before you turned into a hybrid?" I asked, grabbing my bang and tugging it in concentration. Itachi raised an eyebrow at the quirk but didn't comment on it.

"Someone had broken into your house and Kisame, Hidan, and Tobi attacked and managed to bleed the man out. I was checking to see if they needed further assistance when I...touched some of the man's blood that had been spilled." I froze, my eyes widening.

"Blood?" I whispered. Itachi nodded slowly. "Hatred and blood. And no else changed, did they? Something is unique about _you_ that sets you apart from the others." I lightly bit my tongue and Itachi gave me a look of understanding.

"I do not share their bloodlust," he stated quietly. My eyes found his and like a puzzle, everything slid into place. Itachi was a _pacifist_. Or, in other words, he _hated_ spilling blood.

"That's why you turned human. Er, mostly human. But why can't you talk?" Itachi narrowed his eyes thoughtful.

"I do not know. I am trapped within my mind but when you looked into my Sharingan I was able to force my way into your mind and shape it." I jerked back and took a few unconscious steps away from him. My toes curled unpleasantly and I hugged myself with long thin arms to ward his influence away.

"I-I see," I said shakily. "Well, I'm not an expert in fuinjutsu either but I can look up some techniques and hopefully find something that will help." I shrugged helplessly. There wasn't much I could do and I wasn't going to kid myself into thinking that even if I could do anything, I would. Sure, the Akatsuki are cool on paper but in real life? Uh uh. Others might be fooled but I certainly wasn't. The Akatsuki were dangerous, deranged criminals(except Itachi, for the most part)and what was I? _A sad, lonely little girl who knew nothing of the world._ They'd kill me in a heartbeat. Or they could do something worse. There's always something worse than getting killed.

I shuddered and harshly shoved those thoughts into a drawer in my mind. Itachi started to rapidly fire through a few hand seals and, with a small, hesitant smile, disappeared.

...

..

.

I blinked away the stupor, face full of hair. I spluttered and the Itachi-cat mewed and rubbed his head against my cheek. I sighed and patted his head softly. Well, at least he's acting and thinking like a cat, otherwise this would be much weirder. I grabbed my iPod and checked the time. It was ten-thirty already. I yawned and fell backwards onto my soft bed, stretching my legs. Itachi-cat rolled over onto his stomach, giving me an expectant look.

"No, I'm tired boy. Go to sleep," I murmured, cheeks flushing. Itachi-cat whined and I used my foot to rub his head. He purred deeply and jumped onto me, perching on my back weightlessly. Seriously, how did cats do that?

I didn't remember falling asleep but I did remember waking up. Oh boy, wasn't that fun? See, cats usually sleep throughout most of the day, everyone who has owned a cat knows that. So usually, at night, they love to annoy their slaves in any way possible. Yeah, you can just imagine the kind of sleep I got. Itachi would not sit still and he kept biting my ankles whenever they moved. At least it was Saturday and I could sleep in.

"Sara! Breakfast!" My dad yelled. I scratched the back of my head idly as I rolled into a standing position. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and grabbed my giant glasses, pushing them onto my nose.

"Coming!" I shouted through my locked door. The door is supposed to be locked in emergencies only but I always locked it at night to keep any possible intruders out.

I unlocked the door and crept down the stairs. I was the only one with a room on the second floor, so I didn't bother masking the heaviness of my steps. I ghosted toward the kitchen, where my father stood in a frilly pink apron. I waved a greeting and collapsed into a chair, giving my mother a nod. She smiled and her eyes went back to her newspaper.

I suppose I should describe my parents, shouldn't I? My dad was in his mid 40's and had dark, balding hair. He was fairly attractive with a strong jawline and rough stubble dotting his chin. Since it was the weekend, he hadn't bothered immediately shaving whatever grew during the night off. My favorite part of my dad's face was his eyes. They were the _perfect_ shade of blue, a trait I had luckily inherited.

My mother was definitely unforgettable. It was impossible to even think in her presence, let alone harbor the _thought_ that she was forgettable. She was relatively short but always wore heels no shorter than four inches. Her neat, red hair was usually pinned perfectly to her head but now she wore it down, where it cascaded to land on her lower back. I used to have her hair but since I cropped and dyed it, I've looked less like her. Her eyes were green, not nearly as pretty as my dad's.

"Did you have fun last night sweetie?" she asked. I nodded, yawning tiredly. She smiled and reached over to tap my nose. "Ah ah, no sleeping at the table." I stuck my tongue out and picked myself up, valiantly trying to keep my lids from closing. Mother laughed, a tinkling, bell-like sound that enraptured any who had the privilege of hearing it.

"Oh it's fine dear. Sara's just a little tired from texting you-know-who all night." My eyes shot open and my cheeks and chest flushed dangerously.

"D-Dad! W-why would you say that! We're j-j-just friends, ok?!" My dad laughed and winked. I slumped forward, covering my reddened cheeks with my hands.

"Ok ok, I'm sorry honey," he said, kissing my head as he placed a plate of a mash-up of eggs, ham, and potatoes in front of me. I pouted, the red never leaving my cheeks and settled further in my seat to dig in. My dad makes the best food ever. He wasn't a world famous chef for nothing.

"Thank you Daddy!" I chirped, kissing my dad's cheek as I passed him. He chuckled as he washed the dishes, probably sharing a look with my mother.

Once I had escaped to my room, I let out a sigh. I loved my parents dearly, and they were probably the best around, but I always felt that there was _something_ missing. It wasn't love, that much I knew. It wasn't understanding or compassion either. Maybe it was me? I was never a social kid in general and I always shut myself off whenever my parents prodded in concern.

Shaking off my thoughts, I glanced around, surprised by the silence. Itachi was nowhere to be seen and neither were the Akatsuki kittens. Worry gnawed in my stomach and I tried vainly to squash it. I couldn't exactly help it though. Even though I knew they were dangerous criminals in my head, my less rational organs like my heart and stomach believed them to be innocent little kittens that were in trouble.

I trudged toward the room that had housed them for three days and opened the door slowly. Inside, the kittens were all resting, even Itachi. I cooed softly before slipping in. Felix noticed me first and bounded over, purring deeply. Hmmm, judging by his appearance, I'd have to say that this was Tobi/Obito.

"Hey guys," I said, carefully not looking at the deep red stains in the carpet. The kittens simultaneously woke up and raced over, twisting and arching through my legs. I bent down to pet...Sasori? His fur was slightly ruffled so I pressed it down gently with my hand. He purred like a mower and dipped his head in thanks.

"So I guess you're the Akatsuki," I said to them, and they all froze. As one, they turned to Itachi. The man-cat frowned and stalked forward, opting to push his head through my arms and nuzzle my chest to escape the scrutiny. I rolled my eyes but scratched his ears.

"Sa...ra...," he murmured. The hairs on the back of my neck stood. His voice had an eerie tone to it. "I...am...sorry..." That was all the warning I got before his nails dug into my wrist. I pushed my head into his hair and cried out at the pain. It was _horrible_. Haru's-Kisame's, my mind whispered-bite was nothing like this. Pure, unadulterated _agony_ flowed through my veins and I gripped Itachi's pants with surprising force. He stroked my hair in apology.

Suddenly, there was smoke. I couldn't see and I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to breathe. Itachi unhooked his claws(and was it me, but were they duller?)and hugged me closer, offering a way to breathe. I took it, inhaling his distinctly cat-like scent.

Once the smoke had seemingly cleared, I pulled myself away, staring down in horror at the open wound. I thought I saw bone and locked my jaw tightly, afraid I'd vomit. Itachi turned sad eyes to the scratch he'd inflicted and his hands lit up with green chakra. Was that medical jutsu? I didn't know he even knew any. Then again, he must've picked it up after he became sick.

I watched in amazement as the torn muscle and sinew threaded together, accelerated by the chakra. My body absorbed it hungrily and I tasted a mint taste in my mouth. Itachi healed it fairly quickly, beads of sweat making their mark on his face and chest. I put a hand to his sticky, cold shoulder in support.

"Are you ok now?" I asked softly, trying and failing to find more of my voice. There was something somber about the moment. Itachi nodded.

"I believe I am. I used a fair amount of my chakra to heal your wrist. It seems that this world is not as abundant with chakra as my own." That made sense. Although I wonder if Itachi knew how chakra came to be? Probably not.

"We just generally call it Chi or Ki or something else." I smiled weakly, unsure. Itachi's mouth faintly resembled a smile as he assessed what I said.

"Hn." Ah, back to the monosyllables I see. I gazed around at the kittens and they all seemed surprised, probably because Itachi was talking like a normal person. Hey, I could understand the appeal of staying silent.

"So are you going to explain how you became cognitive again?" Itachi brushed a stray strand of hair behind his ear, looking fairly girlish as he did so.

"I thought about it last night and I realized why a random stranger's blood wouldn't make me fully human again. It had to come from you."

"Me?" I repeated dumbly, not following the line of thought. Itachi could probably see it on my face because he smirked. He actually smirked! I thought that only happened frequently in fan fiction. "Are you sure?"

Itachi nodded. I pressed a hand to my forehead to stave off the growing migraine. This was too complicated already. I waved off his words, not wanting them to settle in my brain.

"Ok, whatever, you needed my blood. Does that mean the others need my blood too?" Itachi pursed his lips in thought.

"I don't believe so. The seals on our bodies are tailored to each person. We would have to expose them to something they hate." I modded in understanding. Just because Itachi hated spilling blood didn't mean Hidan did.

"So we just have to find something they hate to change them back, right?" I asked for clarity. Itachi dipped his head. "Huh. I don't know, wouldn't it be easier to take care of them as kittens?"

"I am afraid that they cannot remain in those forms for much longer. If they do, they will no longer be themselves. They would remain as felines for the rest of their lives."

**_Well shit._**

* * *

So there ya go. Itachi had a seal on his person that forced him to remain a cat until he was exposed to something he hated. Gee, I wonder who that could've been? Yeah, it was Jiraiya. The box/letter was just dramatics on his part. Although it _was_ impossible for him to take down all the Akatsuki so soon after Sasori's death. Maybe he had some outside help? ;)).  
Also, Itachi doesn't particularly care how Sara knows who he is. He's pretty grateful that she didn't toss them out as soon as she saw his semi-human form.  
I can't remember if I mentioned it, but currently Sara is blonde. She used to have long, red hair but she thought it made her look like she was a clone of her mother so she cut and dyed it. Oh yeah, she also has a crush~. It's pretty cute tbh.


	5. Chapter 5

So I rushed to get this done. I've decided to try to update every Thursday and Sunday. The updates on Sunday will probably be shorter. Enjoy!

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Itachi quietly plucked the book off the sleeping teen's face, grabbing the piece of paper she was clutching loosely to mark her page. He set the book down and lifted her up, careful to not wake her up. The teenager shifted slightly and clutched his shirt, mumbling something incoherent under her breath. Nostalgia tugged on his heart. He had had to put Sasuke to bed this way sometimes.

The Uchiha hauled the girl to her bedroom, carefully concealing his presence lest her parents discover him. He had placed a genjutsu over himself and Sara about an hour ago that made it look like she was alone and reading. Sighing, he stopped the jutsu, feeling lighter now that his chakra wasn't being siphoned off to power the jutsu. Sara nuzzled his chest sleepily, muttering a quiet "_Thank you Itachi,_" under her breath. So she was still aware?

Itachi set her down on her bed gently, pulling the blanket over her body. Luckily, she was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top. Otherwise, he might've had to strip her down and dress her. He didn't think she'd appreciate it.

She latched onto the white blanket instantly, shifting on her side and tucking her legs under her. Itachi plucked her glasses off, patting her forehead as he did so. She sighed and relaxed into the mattress. Itachi made a move to return to his temporary bed when a sharp tug on his arm stopped him. Sara looked up at him with large, distant blue eyes. Eerily, they reminded him of Naruto.

"We'll fix everything. I promise." She smiled then released him. Itachi dipped his head in thanks.

He could only hope she was right.

...

..

.

I woke up to hissing and yowling, which gave me an enormous migraine. Yawning, I stretched, groping around for my glasses. Oddly enough, I found them in their case. Usually, I set them out on the table.

Shoving my glasses onto my face revealed the source of the hissing. Hidan and Kakuzu were at it again. I sighed and stood, walking over and pulling the two apart. Pein hissed at Hidan, probably yelling at him. I didn't need Itachi to translate _that_.

Konan echoed my sigh and picked up her partner, cradling him close. He begrudgingly began to purr, giving her a serene look on her face. I placed Hidan on the ground and nuzzled Kakuzu before allowing him to jump out of my hands. He glared then stalked off.

"So is there anything you want for breakfast Konan?" I asked, swiveling to give her a questioning look. Konan hummed as she stroked Pein. I couldn't help but picture her in an eyepatch and sitting in a revolving chair.

"May I peruse your kitchen?" I shrugged.

"Let's see if anyone is home. Knowing Dad and Mom, they're probably making breakfast. It is Saturday."

It had been a whole week since Itachi had changed back. Since then, only three other members have become human. Konan(who I read angst fics of Nagato and Yahiko to), Tobi(who probably reacted to my personal shrine to the Sharingan), and Sasori(I admit, I don't know how he became human). I was glad that it hadn't been Hidan or Deidara to change. Lord knows I wouldn't know how to deal with those two.

"Tobi wants food!" Tobi yelled, crashing into me at Mach speed. I patted his hair soothingly, fighting off the shudders that threatened to run down my spine. Obito must be really into his Tobi persona.

"One moment Tobi darling," I drawled, pretending that his touch _didn't_ make me want to curl into a ball. I was never one for physical contact, especially from strangers. I tolerated it from Tobi because he might do something unpleasant to me if I didn't.

"Awww~" he pouted, seemingly oblivious to my plight. He knew that something bothered me but he just didn't care. I carefully slipped out of his hold, giving Sasori a nod as he joined the rest of us in my large room. The rest of the Akatsuki followed behind, even Kakuzu and Hidan. I shot them a look.

"Ok, I'm going to go sneak some food up here. Where's Itachi?" Itachi had made my life so much easier with his genjutsu. My parents and I didn't notice a thing, which is how I liked it. As long as I couldn't see or hear him, it was like the whole thing was a dream.

Konan frowned. "I believe he is using the bathroom. I'm not too sure though." I wondered why she seemed upset and that set off my own anxiety. What if he was still sick? He didn't have any medicine and I didn't even know what he had been sick _with_. I clamped a hand on my arm, willing the inevitable shaking to go away. There was a slight stinging behind my eyes and I turned my head, heading for the bathroom door. I knocked softly.

"Itachi? Are you in there?" I waited a moment, jumping a foot in the air when I felt fur twisting between my legs. I looked down to see Kisame. He meowed softly and I bent down to pick him up, nearly crushing him to my chest. He must've been worried about his partner like I was.

The door opened to reveal the man in question. He looked put together, an oddly peaceful look on his face. It was like he had been an insomniac and last night was the best sleep he had ever gotten. Kisame watched him carefully, eyes narrowed.

"Good morning Sara," he said. I nodded back, pursing my lips.

"Good morning Itachi. Are you ok?" I asked. Itachi gave me a somewhat surprised look(as surprised as an Uchiha could ever look anyway).

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I was hyperaware of the eyes that watched our interaction. I turned my head so that only Itachi could see my mouth.

_'What about your illness?'_ I mouthed. Itachi stiffened slightly, then forced himself to relax. He didn't offer anything about the subject, all too aware that Obito was watching.

"Oh no reason. I thought there might be side effects to the whole transformation thing," I lied easily, the tension draining from my shoulders. I offered a small smile. "Are you up for a kitchen raid, Mr. Uchiha?"

Itachi nodded. "I suppose I am."

...

..

.

"Sara! There's a phone call for you~!" My mother trilled from the downstairs living room. Surprised, I trudged downstairs, taking the home phone from my mother. Most people didn't know my home phone number and I couldn't think of a reason for anyone to be calling me.

"Hello?" I asked, walking toward the kitchen for a semblance of privacy.

_"Sara? It's me, Colton."_ A flurry of feelings welled up in my chest and stomach. Anxiety, apprehension, nervousness and maybe a little bit of tentative love.

"H-hey Colton! What's shaking?" I could hear him breathing heavily on the other side of the phone and my eyebrows scrunched together as I frowned.

_"Nothing much. I was wondering if I could come over to see if everything's alright. You've been dodging me lately at school."_ His voice wasn't accusing but understanding. That boy was just too kind. I relaxed my shoulders as I sat down in a kitchen chair.

"I suppose so. When will you be coming over?" I could at least prepare to hide the Akatsuki better if I knew when he was going to be here.

_"Now?"_ he asked hesitantly. I frowned to myself. That didn't give me much time. _"I can be there in ten minutes."_ Yeah, not much time at all.

"Sure! I'll see you then!" I cheerfully hung up, my forced joy falling as soon as I heard the dial tone. I sighed then jumped as I felt someone's presence behind me. I turned my head slightly and froze. Tobi, no, _Obito,_ was giving me a frigid stare with his Sharingan. My fingers shook and I dropped the phone. He smoothly plucked it out of the air and placed it on the table, watching me.

"We are having a guest I see," he said in his low voice. I numbly nodded, my stomach churning violently. "You will not reveal us to him. Nor will you allow him to take Pein or Konan. Do you understand?" I nodded again.

"Tobi forgives Sara-chan!" 'Tobi' said, hugging me tightly. I blinked back tears and silently hugged him back. He squealed in delight and ruffled my hair, his cheek nuzzling my head. I just couldn't figure out his aim. Why was he so attached to me?

I wasn't Rin. I wasn't Kakashi or Minato or Kushina or anyone that ever used to mean something to him. I was just me. And that appealed to him for some weird, sick reason. I shuddered in his arms, scared beyond belief.

If I didn't figure out how to send them back, I wasn't sure how much of my sanity I'd have left. And they've only been here for a week at the least.

* * *

He watched them carefully, a grin forming on his face as he saw the girl shudder in the mad man's arms. His fun had only just begun but the show was already so tantalizing that he kicked his shoes off and laid his feet onto the desk.

With a snap of his fingers, the crystal hovered closer and a bag of popcorn appeared in his arms. He idly studied its clear surface and dug his fingers into the salty, buttery mess. He laughed, a loud, mad sound that reverberated throughout the room.

Things were about to get much, _much_ more interesting.

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Next chapter we get to see Sara's crush in person~! Woot! Also, antagonist reveal this chapter. All we really know is that he likes popcorn and watching people. Oh, and he sent the Akatsuki to Sara for some reason. Jiraiya must keep some strange company, ne? We'll see more of him later. Review and check out my other story, Hear no Evil!


	6. Chapter 55

So I realized that I didn't really write the last chapter well. I'm very, _very, _**very, **_**very**__**,**_ very, sorry for any confusion I caused. I've been real busy lately and I've been just a bit sick and I just didn't think much about it when I wrote it(which are just excuses to make myself feel better). As an apology to my dear readers, I wrote up three short omakes that will explain just what happened to Konan, Sasori, and Tobi in that week that I thoughtlessly skipped. They go in chronological order and happen a few days in between each other.  
I'm still pretty sorry for the trouble. Hopefully this will clear things up and I'll try to refrain from making the same mistake. Just because I feel lazy doesn't excuse the lack of quality in a story.  
Again, I'm _**really really**_sorry for the trouble I caused. Hope you enjoy the omakes(personally, I like Sasori's the best)

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Sara was reading something when Konan padded over and jumped into her lap, curling up to sleep. The teen smiled slightly and scratched the kunoichi behind her ear. Konan purred like a lawn mower, stretching her paws out and yawning.

The Ame kunoichi glanced up and frowned. Sara wasn't paying _any_ attention to her, and that annoyed her immensely(she didn't question _why_ it annoyed her so much. Maybe it was the cat instinct?). She stood up, which prompted the teen to remove the iPad and bend down to kiss her head. Konan's tail twitched in annoyance. She didn't want a kiss, she wanted _attention_.

Konan turned, balancing delicately on the girl's lap, and placed her paws on her chest. Sara sighed and put the iPad down, her eyes connecting with Konan's.

"Ok girly, what do you want?" she sighed, idly scratching Konan's head. The cat mewed, pressing her face into Sara's jaw. The girl raised an eyebrow but allowed the cat to nuzzle her face. Konan gently bit her chin, driven by some instinct. Sara tensed at the action. She knew what that meant.

Konan had accepted her as one of her own.

"Konan, do you wanna listen to me read?" she quipped. Curious, the kunoichi nodded. Sara smiled but it was an off smile. She looked regretful and sad. Sara grabbed her laptop and turned it on, waiting. Once it booted up, she clicked on Google Chrome and typed rapidly. Konan watched her fingers dance expertly over the keyboard, slightly impressed. Sara mouthed something to herself before clicking on a link. Konan pushed herself into Sara's lap, forcing her to hold the laptop further away. She smiled wistfully as Konan purred.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Sara began to talk. Konan simply basked in the sound, not paying any attention to the words. But before long, she forced herself to listen and understand.

Sara's words were not pretty. They were not graceful nor were they bright. They were sadness given form, and regret tinged every single word. Konan's claws dug into her caretaker's leg but the girl hardly winced. Beads of blood pooled onto her creamy legs but she paid them no mind.

It was about a half hour later that Konan returned to human form. She quickly removed herself from Sara's lap and grabbed the towel that sat at the foot of the bed to cover herself. Sara's shoulders were lax but Konan could see the tension in them.

The second thing she did as a human was to slap Sara. Konan carefully didn't tinge the slap with chakra, lest she damage the girl further. Konan's stature hadn't changed as she slapped the girl. She was all cold business. Sara placed a shaking hand to her cheek with wide eyes. The skin on her face burned but she did not _dare_ let herself cry. She owed that much to the Ame kunoichi.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears being beat back by sheer force of will. "I'm so, _so_ sorry." Konan understood, really, she did, but right now was not the time to be grateful.

"I cannot forgive you at this moment," she clipped shortly. Sara dipped her head and stood. She stalked over to her dresser and pulled out articles of clothing with shaking limbs.

The other kittens ran in, their eyes widening at the sight of the human Konan. Pein's eyebrow rose but Konan shook her head. He jumped into her covered lap, purring. She pressed a shy hand to his head.

"Scat cats," Sara ordered, her voice controlled and neutral. The cats surprisingly listened to her and ran out. She grabbed Pein and gently set him down outside the door and locked it.

"Here you are. I'll give you some privacy," she said, not looking Konan in the eye. Konan nodded and placed a hand on the other girls' shoulder.

"Thank you for returning my form," she said quietly. Surprised, Sara blinked.

"Uh sure. I'm sorry I had to do it the way I did."

Konan didn't forgive her immediately, but eventually she would.

* * *

Sasori was done with it all. He hated becoming a pet, he hated becoming a _toy_ to some mad god. And he absolutely hated his own body. It made him do things he normally wouldn't even _dream_ of doing.

It was in the middle of the night when Sasori became human. There was a puff of smoke and a loud popping noise. Sara shot straight up, heart hammering in her chest. Quickly, she turned the light on. What greeted her was the naked, human body of Sasori. She let out a high trill and hurriedly covered her eyes, squeezing them shut.

"Sasori! What the fuck?! Itachi!_ Itachi!_" she called, her knees kicking off the blanket and curling inward toward her chest. Itachi came in a moment later, his Sharingan spinning. He calmed once he saw that it was only Sasori.

"Find him some clothes please. I'm too tired to deal with this bullshit," Sara mumbled, voice tired and heart calming. Sasori stood, unashamed, and followed the Uchiha out of the room.

Well, that was _one_ way to bypass the limitations placed upon them.

* * *

Tobi flicked his tail furiously and wriggled his butt. In a single heartbeat, he leapt and grabbed the offending object, clawing and biting it gently. Sara let out an exasperated sigh as she let him play with her hand.

Itachi watched the interaction, somewhat puzzled by Madara's actions. The man was enthusiastic to be a cat, it seemed. Maybe this would be good for him. His plans for world domination were halted and now he was playing with a teenager who seemed eager to indulge his cat instincts.

Sara scratched his back, a slight smile on her face as Tobi attempted to catch her hand. A few scratches littered her fingers but she didn't seem to mind or care. She leaned in and pecked the top of his head, forgetting for a moment that Tobi was an S-rank criminal. Tobi mewed and turned, trying to scratch her face. Sara laughed, darting her hand back into the fray.

Frazzled, the hyperactive Akatsuki member rolled to his feet, eyes turning slightly darker. He was irritated, and it showed. Sara only rolled her eyes and gave him a parting kiss, turning back to her book as if nothing had occurred.

Shaking his head, Tobi bounded away, his curiosity spiking as he neared a half-way open door. He'd never seen this one before and the natural, curious nature of a cat was demanding that he investigate. He glanced back at Sara and Itachi, who weren't paying him any attention. Perfect.

Tobi was expecting clothes, or maybe **blackmail,** when he pawed open the closet door. What he got instead was horror.

Littering the walls were pictures, but not just any pictures. No, the girl simply _had_ to put up pictures of Itachi, Itachi's brother, the real Madara, Obito himself, and that god damned _Kakashi_. Hatred, thick and boiling, ran through his system. How dare she idolize _Kakashi_! Kakashi was nothing but **trash**. He got his comrades and friends killed. He didn't _deserve_ to be on this wall.

Tobi's form began to change shape and in a puff of smoke, he lost his tail and ears. He was able to stand upright and all his fur was gone. For a brief, horrible moment Tobi thought he had lost his mask. But lo and behold, it sat on his face, a familiar weight that he had missed. Tobi didn't question how his mask stayed. That would be later.

Itachi was up in a flash, shielding the teenager on the bed, who seemed thoroughly confused. She peeked around her self-assigned guardian and froze as Tobi caught her eyes. Itachi's own eyes were spinning red, ready to take on the possible threat.

So of course Tobi threw himself at the teen and hugged her close to him. Itachi hadn't even had time to defend. Then again, Tobi had his Kamui, which was miraculously still working. Sara blinked, her eyelashes tickling Tobi's chest. Her face slowly burned, which felt nice on Tobi's cooled skin.

"Sara-chan, why do you have all those naughty pictures?" Tobi whined, stroking her hair. She tensed under his touch and Tobi felt a twinge of hurt.

"Naughty pictures?" She sounded confused and a little apprehensive. "Tobi dear, why don't you um, find some clothes? And please stop hugging me. I'd rather not have to deal with your genitalia." Tobi swiftly backtracked, his face turning red under his mask. Sara was looking away from him, her own face redder at having to point it all out.

Itachi grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room, silently stewing. Tobi relaxed his attitude, becoming more like 'Madara', though he didn't doubt that Sara knew he wasn't really Tobi or Madara. That was highly unnerving but as long as she didn't reveal his secret, he was more than ok with someone knowing.

And that unnerved him more than he cared to admit.

* * *

So there it is. Oh yeah, Sasori knows how they got to the 'real' world but he can't actually tell anyone(and he dropped a major hint as to who the antagonist is!). Sara thought that Konan was becoming too cat-like so she found some angst fics and strapped in. Konan slaps her because, well, it_ hurts_. Imagine listening to a story of your dearest friends getting slaughtered like sheep or becoming permanently disfigured or something equally as horrifying. And then imagine that they actually were dead. You'd slap that person too. I know I would. Konan appears to be on good terms with Sara in the train wreck of a chapter that I put up yesterday but looks can be deceiving. Sara's just too frazzled to really notice any underlying tension. She's got the uber clingy Tobi to deal with not to mention that she had to avoid a _lot_ of people at school who thought they were getting kittens but got rejected for no discernible reason.


End file.
